


don't ever let me be

by foxwatson



Category: Bill & Ted (Movies)
Genre: Comeplay, First Time, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Masturbation, ted comes in his pants too if that sweetens the pot for anyone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:20:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27569671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxwatson/pseuds/foxwatson
Summary: After a charged moment one night, Ted starts to think that maybe Bill wants to kiss him - and Ted wants to kiss him back. But he doesn't know how to ask or even to bring it up. So how does one go about trying to get the perfect moment to kiss their best friend for the first time? Apparently you just keep getting interrupted.
Relationships: Ted "Theodore" Logan/Bill S. Preston Esq.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 165





	don't ever let me be

**Author's Note:**

> title from van halen's you really got me, i mean. for obvious reasons, right?

The rain beats down on the awning right out in front of the Circle K - and Ted realizes that he and Bill have gotten caught out in the rain again. It’s rare enough that it rains in San Dimas that Ted can’t really say that he and Bill get caught out in the rain as a frequent occurrence - but it does seem like every time it does rain, they most assuredly get caught in it.

“Bogus,” Bill mutters under his breath, squinting out into the parking lot.

Ted nods, and shivers a little with the drop in temperature. “Most definitely.” He shifts the bags in his hands, and shuffles back and forth on his feet, trying to get comfortable, and failing. “Do you think we should wait a while and see if it slows up?”

Bill wrinkles his nose, and shakes his head before he turns to face Ted. “I don’t think it’s gonna, dude. Plus - we’re gonna be cold and get kind of wet standing here anyways. We should just-” He lifts up the bags in his hands, “Get this stuff home and then dry off. We can be warm there.”

Sighing, Ted shuffles a little closer to Bill, huddling as close as he can. “I know you’re right, dude. I just don’t wanna.”

That makes Bill snort out a little laugh - but then he gets serious again, tugging his hat down in the back. “I know, dude. Our Chucks are gonna get egregiously soggy, but - we can’t just be stranded here forever.” He braces himself a little, and then locks eyes with Ted. “Ready, Ted?”

With one deep breath, Ted braces himself, too, and nods back. “Ready, Bill.”

And then they’re off, running into the rain, Bill whooping as the cold rain hits them both. Ted laughs a little, in spite of himself, still shivering as he follows behind, trying to keep his grip on all the plastic bags as they slip from his now-wet fingers. Within moments, his hair is so soaked that he can feel the water dripping down his neck, and he wrinkles his nose even as he squints and runs full-tilt, trying just to make it back to the apartment.

As soon as they make it to the garage, Bill unlocks the door and pushes it open to let Ted in first - and then they both settle against the concrete wall inside, panting as they catch their breath.

“Most non-triumphant,” Bill mutters, but he laughs a little as he moves his feet and they can both hear his shoes actually squelch against the concrete.

Ted grins, and shakes his head, but laughs, too, as his own wet hair whips him in the face. “Egregious, most definitely.”

They laugh together, and shuffle a little closer, both of them still cold. It’s then that Ted shakes his hair out of his face enough to get a good look at Bill - and his chest gets all fluttery.

Bill’s curls, where they stick out of his hat, are all wet and plastered to his forehead. His cheeks are pink, flushed from the chill and from running, and his mouth is bright pink, too. There’s still water, dripping down his face, clinging to his eyelashes, making them stick together a little. His mouth is open, just a little, too, from the way he’s still breathing heavy, and suddenly Ted’s eyes are just sort of - stuck there. The nice, small, pink shape of Bill’s mouth, and the way his lips tremble a little with the cold.

Ted wants, desperately, to kiss him. He finally looks up from Bill’s mouth, up to Bill’s eyes, worried he’s been caught or that there’s a reason Bill’s gone quiet, too - but instead, he finds that Bill isn’t looking at his eyes, either.

If he didn’t know any better, he might think that Bill was looking at his mouth. He parts his lips - maybe to speak, but he’s not really sure, and he can watch Bill’s eyes flutter, and track the movement.

He steps forward, feeling drawn in, and Bill doesn’t step back. He ducks his head, and starts to move in even closer - but that’s when Bill pulls back, brings one hand up over his face, and sneezes so loudly it echoes through the parking garage.

Immediately, Ted laughs so hard he doubles forward a little, curling in on himself and bringing the bags of their groceries up to his chest. Bill laughs, too, and shoves at him a little, and Ted can feel all the strange tension of the moment before falling away.

“It’s not gonna be so funny if I get sick, dude,” Bill grumbles, even as the corner of his mouth twitches up.

“I’ll take care of you like always, dude, don’t worry about it,” Ted says with a smile as they start to climb up the stairs.

For a moment, Bill pauses, and turns to look at Ted, something strange in his expression. Then he flushes a little deeper, and smiles, and shakes his head as he keeps walking. “Thanks, Ted.”

They get up to the apartment, and they change clothes, and dry off, and they stick close as they make dinner, still warming back up - but neither of them says anything about that moment in the parking garage. Ted is starting to think maybe he just read it wrong, and Bill was kind of dazed because his nose was all itchy and he was about to sneeze.

It makes more sense than the idea that Bill was looking his mouth, too - that maybe, Bill wanted to kiss him back.

The look on Bill’s face has kind of wormed its way into Ted’s brain, though, and he keeps zoning out thinking about it. About the way Bill’s eyes had been all hooded, dark in the flickering overhead light of the parking garage. About the way things might have gone if Bill hadn’t sneezed, if he really wanted Ted, too.

He tries not to zone out when he’s around Bill, and he tries not to stare, but it’s a little bit harder now than it used to be. He just keeps wondering if kissing Bill would be as nice as he thinks it would - if Bill’s mouth would be as warm and soft and kissable as it looks.

Thankfully, there’s still plenty of easy distractions. He and Bill have work, still, and band practice. Plus, then they make plans to go to a concert on Saturday. They don’t go to a lot of local shows, because they usually prefer to save their money for when Van Halen or Guns N’ Roses come to LA - but they’ve still been to plenty of concerts together.

Ted loves going to shows with Bill, because he loves listening to music with Bill - but also because they always manage to carve out their own little space in the crowd. More than once, Bill’s managed to nudge his way up to the front barricade, pulling Ted along with him. Then Ted gets to put his arms on either side of Bill and help keep the crowd off of him, keeping both of them from getting shoved around too much by holding tight to the rail.

At a little local show where they can stand right by the stage, it isn’t as much of a problem, but they still tend to stick close, stake out their spot and keep their feet pressed and arms pressed together so no one can try to shove in between them.

This show is small enough that Ted’s a little less worried about either of them getting shoved around too much. Still, he likes the opportunity to stick close to Bill, to brush their hands together where they’re hidden by everyone around them and get to write it off to dancing around at the show, bumping into each other by accident.

The opening band is kind of lame, if only because they seem determined to pretend they don’t care about the show, or the crowd, or even the music. There’s no passion in what they do at all, and Ted keeps looking over at Bill, and Bill keeps rolling his eyes, and it makes Ted laugh. It’s not like either of them think they’re the best band in the world yet, but at least they know _how_ to be good, and how to care enough to try. Ted doesn’t really get why anyone would play music if they didn’t love it - maybe just because he can’t imagine getting to play and not loving it.

Eventually, the headliner starts, and they’re the reason he and Bill are here anyways, because they’re actually supposed to be good. At the very least, they’re loud, and fast, and they’re a lot more fun than the opening band.

All the empty space in the room seems to disappear as folks start dancing and shoving. A mosh pit opens up - and while it’s not like he and Bill have never been in one, Ted’s had a couple of clumsy incidents that usually discourage him from jumping in at this point. The last thing he needs is a broken nose from bumping into someone the wrong way - or worse, to piss someone off because his elbow caught them wrong, and then end up in a fight at a show.

Bill, well aware of all this, pulls Ted closer to him, keeping them both at the edge of the mosh pit, well out of the circle - but as people shove around the edges, the circle gets bigger, til Ted keeps having guys bounce off of him to slam into each other in the center. It doesn’t really bother him, because it’s kind of funny, but Bill tugs him even closer, ducking in near his face.

“Are you okay, dude?” Bill shouts over the music.

Ted nods. “Yeah, I’m-” But another hard shove from behind makes him stumble forward, and his forehead bumps into Bill’s a little, the way their faces are still ducked together.

He winces, and laughs, pulling back just slightly to rub at his forehead.

“Bogus. Sorry, Bill.”

When he looks up, though, Bill’s face is still inches from his. His lips are parted, his eyelids dropped low - because he’s not looking Ted in the eyes.

For a moment, Ted just stands there staring. The music falls away to background noise, and the hand that Bill has pressed against his waist feels hot through the fabric of his shirt. He ducks his head in just a little bit closer, and Bill blinks, and his hand squeezes at Ted’s hip, and Ted shivers a little. His own eyes fall back to Bill’s mouth, to the gentle curve of his bottom lip, the hint of stubble just above the shape of his top lip.

Ted wants to kiss him. He’s pretty sure Bill wants to kiss him, too.

Then someone shoves into Ted’s back again, and he stumbles forward, and Bill barely manages to hang onto his shirt enough that they don’t get separated.

Once they’re both steady on their feet again, Ted turns to look at Bill, beside him now, and shrugs, laughing a little.

Bill looks thoughtful, like there’s something on his mind even as he smiles back - but he wraps a hand back around Ted’s hip, and Ted scoots in a little closer to him, gratefully, pressing their shoulders together as they face the stage.

For the rest of the night, Bill doesn’t stop touching him. Ted probably couldn’t say anything about the songs that got played in the second half of the show, but he leaves flushed and grinning, bumping into Bill as they walk, and he thinks that maybe it’s the best local show they’ve ever been to.

After they get home, though, and they’re both settled in their beds, Ted can hear Bill tossing and turning restlessly on the other side of the room.

Finally, in the dark, Bill whispers, “Hey, Ted?”

Ted turns onto his side, curled up facing Bill. He can’t see much in the dim light of their bedroom, but he can make out Bill’s shape, lying on his back, one arm over his face. “What is it, Bill?”

“At the show tonight, did you-” Bill stops. Ted’s heart speeds up.

“Did I what, Bill?”

Bill sighs, sounding frustrated, and presses his hands over his face. “I don’t know, dude. I don’t - never mind.”

The small space between their beds feels way too big, suddenly, so Ted lets his hand fall over the side, not quite reaching for Bill - but not quite _not_ doing it, either. “Did you have fun?” he asks, quietly.

“Yeah, dude. Of course I did.”

“Okay. Good. Me, too.”

Finally, Bill turns onto his side, and Ted can see his face. He’s smiling a little, now, as he scoots closer to the edge of his bed. “Yeah?”

“Yes way, Bill,” Ted tells him, grinning, and he reaches out properly, offering his hand to Bill.

Bill laughs, and reaches out, too, so they can wiggle their fingers together in the space between their beds. Then, for just a moment, their hands linger, and Bill tangles his fingers with Ted’s before they both let their hands fall, and they slip apart.

“I’m glad you had fun, Ted,” Bill says, his voice finally edging into sleepy mumbles.

“I’m glad you had fun, too, dude.” Ted curls up a little tighter, but stays on his side, facing Bill. “Goodnight, Bill.”

“Goodnight, Ted.”

Ted listens as Bill falls asleep, his breathing growing deep and heavy as it evens out. He looks at the frizz of Bill’s hair against the pillows, and the way his stomach moves as he breathes - and then he has to turn onto his stomach, pressing his face against the pillows as he wiggles a little, giddy.

He might not have been wrong.

Bill really might want to kiss him.

Eventually, with that thought on repeat in his head, he falls asleep.

The trouble, Ted realizes the next morning, is that he wants the moment they do kiss to be _right_. He does also kind of just want to turn around and kiss Bill in the kitchen, with the sunlight streaming in through the window and the Pop-Tarts still in the toaster. He wants to kiss Bill everywhere, pretty much all the time, when Bill drops him off for work in the van, or when they’re cracking jokes about magazine headlines in the Circle K - but it doesn’t feel like the perfect moment.

Every time he and Bill are having one of those moments, like the one at the concert or in the parking garage, when Bill is looking back, it feels _right_. He’s not nervous that he’s wrong or worried about if he’ll mess it up - in those moments, kissing Bill feels like the one thing that makes sense. Outside of that, though, he doesn’t know how to do it, so he keeps just waiting for another chance, and hoping that he’ll get one.

That’s why later that week, when Bill suggests they go to a movie, Ted gets excited. People are always making out in the back of the theater - and he feels like if he tries, maybe he can even make one of those moments happen. Maybe he can put up the armrest, and scoot in close, and if he tilts his head right, maybe Bill will look at him just the right way, and they can kiss right there in the theater.

He gets totally distracted at work thinking about it, enough that his manager gets onto him, but it doesn’t even bum him out the way it usually would, because all he can think about is his plan to kiss Bill.

His stomach is fluttery all the way home. He told Bill he’d walk home from work, and he doesn’t regret it, because he spends half of it hopping or skipping or shaking out his hands, trying to get out some of the nervous excitement.

When he gets home, Bill is watching TV in the living room, but Ted can only sort of wave at him before he hops in the shower, feeling sweaty from the walk and all his jumping around.

Once he’s a little less odious, he dries off his hair, and changes into the outfit he picked out - because really, he’s basically thinking about this as a date. A date _with Bill_. He grins to himself again, and bites his lip, and tugs at his vest over his t-shirt, trying to straighten it out.

Back in the living room, he falls onto the couch beside Bill, still smiling a little.

“I’m ready to go whenever you are, dude,” he says.

Bill turns to look at him, catches sight of his shirt, and grins. “Dude, that’s the shirt I got you at the Guns N’ Roses show!”

“I know - I don’t wear it a lot cause I don’t want it to get messed up, dude, but it’s like, my favorite shirt.”

Flushing slightly, Bill smiles even wider. “Did you have a good day at work? You seem like you’re in a particularly excellent mood, dude.”

Ted laughs, and ducks his head. “Actually, it was kind of bogus. Jeff was working today and he totally got mad at me again for not paying attention to the salt on the pretzels and stuff, but - I’m just excited about goin’ to the movies with you.”

“Yeah?” Bill asks.

Ted nods, and Bill grins, hopping up off the couch and then reaching out to help Ted up, too.

“Well, come on, then, dude! Let’s go.”

They stumble into each other as they head downstairs to the garage, and they both pile in the van laughing and joking around. Ted finds the perfect cassette, an old homemade mix of their favorite Van Halen songs, and he pops it in while Bill drives them to the theater - conveniently located inside the mall.

There’s a showing of some action movie that times out just right, so they get their tickets and head into the theater with their slushies and popcorn and their shared box of candy, still ducked in close to each other and giggling about nothing in particular.

Once they get into the theater, Ted flushes - usually he and Bill sit pretty close to the front, away from other people and close enough that the screen takes up their whole line of vision, so they can feel like they’re really in it. That’s not gonna work, though, if they’re going to be kissing.

“Why don’t we sit in the back? Just to - see how it looks from back here, you now?” Ted suggests, ducking behind his hair. 

He peeks out to check Bill’s expression - and Bill looks sort of pink in the face, too, but he nods. “Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense, we should - maybe see it from a new angle, right? Excellent idea, Ted.”

So they find a seat that’s not all the way on the back row - but it’s close, just a few rows up. Ted gets settled in first, but before he can push up the armrest, Bill actually beats him to it, scooting in close.

“This way you can reach the popcorn and stuff,” Bill mumbles, grabbing a handful.

Ted smiles, and scoots a little closer as he nods. “Yeah. Totally.”

He can tell that he’s blushing again, from the way his face is all hot, and he’s got that fluttery feeling back in his stomach. Maybe Bill isn’t doing all of this on purpose - but it feels like he is. It feels like this is totally actually a date, and like he’s not the only one thinking about it. He kicks his heels back against his seat and angles himself close to Bill.

They sit there pretty quietly, tucked close eating their popcorn until the trailers start and the lights go down.

Then Ted turns, scooting down in his seat a little so he’s more on Bill’s level. “Hey. Bill?” He whispers.

“Hey, Ted,” Bill says back, softly, leaning in a little closer.

Ted bites his lip, and watches as Bill’s eyes fall. His stomach swoops, and he lets himself look for a moment. Bill’s eyes catch the light off the screen, and Ted can see the pale green color of them through his delicate blonde lashes. He looks over Bill’s flushed cheeks, the familiar shape of his nose - and finally, down at his mouth, and the way his lips are softly parted.

Bill licks his lips, and Ted watches, captivated by the way the dampness there catches the light, too. His own mouth falls open, just slightly, and he nudges in closer, tilting his head.

Then a balled up empty popcorn bag hits Ted square in the forehead, out of nowhere, and he jumps back a little, startled.

“You better not be weird back there, Ted!” a voice calls in a loud whisper from a few rows up - and it’s Deacon. Because of course it is.

“How do I know you’re not being weird, _Deacon_?” he hisses back, frustrated, as he sits up and leans over the seats.

“Because I’m not the weird one, am I, _Ted_?”

Ted flushes a little at that, and huffs, settling back into his seat.

Then Bill leans down, picks up the balled up popcorn bag, and throws it back. “You better shut up, Deacon, or I’ll tell whoever you’re with about that thing you did in the fourth grade. You know I remember.”

“Bill?” Deacon says, almost at full volume - and now he sounds a little nervous actually. Someone shushes them from somewhere else in the room, and Ted laughs, trying to muffle it behind his hands as Bill turns back and grins at him.

“Yeah, little dude,” Bill whispers, “You better apologize to your brother, too.”

“Sorry, Ted,” Deacon says, so quietly that Ted almost can’t hear it over the trailers.

“Thanks, Deacon. But just leave us alone and watch the movie, dude,” Ted tells him, trying not to sound like he’s grinning quite as much as he is.

“Okay. Sorry Bill,” Deacon mumbles, and then he’s quiet again, probably turned back around to face the screen.

With that, Ted turns to face Bill again, and Bill looks a little bothered, still. His brow is all furrowed, and his lips are pressed tight together. Ted knocks their shoulders together and then stays there, leaning his weight against Bill.

“Thanks, Bill,” he says quietly.

Bill turns and looks at him again, and one corner of his mouth quirks up. “No problem, dude.”

Ted still wants to kiss him - because of course he does - but kissing in the back of the theater while his little brother is there too is pretty much the most heinously egregious thing imaginable. So instead, Ted just settles in, slumped down in his seat, tucked as close to Bill as possible, and reaches over for a handful of popcorn as the movie finally gets started.

The movie’s not bad - and Deacon catches up with them as they all leave the theater, waves at them and introduces them to his friend. It’s some dude Deacon’s age that Ted’s never met before, but Deacon seems to really like him, getting all flustered as he introduces everyone, so Ted happily waves and shakes his hand.

They part ways when Deacon and his friend decide to stick around the mall, and Bill and Ted head back out to their van to head home.

“Kind of bogus that Deacon showed up to the exact same movie,” Bill mumbles as they walk through the parking lot. He’s got his hands shoved in his pockets, and he looks most downtrodden.

Ted tries to walk close to him again, but Bill doesn’t look up. “I mean - yeah, but. The movie wasn’t bad, right?”

“No, that’s true,” Bill agrees. He sighs, and turns his head to face Ted - but then instead of saying anything else, he closes his mouth and looks away again.

“Bill?” Ted asks out of instinct - but still, Bill won’t look over.

Instead, he kicks at the ground. “Yeah, Ted?”

All the nervous excitement from earlier has started to twist into a kind of sinking feeling in Ted’s stomach. It’s most heinous. “Um. Never mind.” He stops, for the moment, trying to get Bill’s attention. He twists nervously at his own bracelets, then at the fabric of his shirt, just fidgeting so he doesn’t reach out.

They’re both quiet the rest of the way to the van. They hop in, and Ted pops out their Van Halen cassette, taking a minute to look for something a little less triumphant. He’s disappointed, now that it’s sinking in - and worse, he’s starting to worry that Deacon interrupting them made Bill have some kind of realization that maybe he doesn’t want to kiss Ted after all.

“Listen, Bill-” Ted says, at the same time Bill says, “Listen, Ted-”

They both turn and look at each other, and then look away again.

“You go ahead, dude,” Ted says, ducking to hide behind his hair.

“I just - I hope you still - had fun, and stuff. I um - I’m sorry it wasn’t - I mean. I feel like things didn’t go exactly the way I’d planned. If you know what I mean. I mean - maybe you don’t.”

Ted peeks through his bangs, looking at Bill as he flushes and stumbles over his words. “I still had fun, but - I know what you mean. About - it not going the way you wanted it to. At least - I think I do?"

Bill nods. “Right, it just - it wasn’t the same, like if it was just the two of us, and-” Bill cuts himself off, grunting in frustration. “I don’t know, dude. I’m sorry. I’m glad you still had a good time.”

“Yeah, I did.” Ted says softly, shifting in his seat. “Did you - not? I mean if - if not we don’t have to - sit in the back of the movies. Next time. You know.” Ted trails off, mumbling a little. He can’t possibly say what he really means - not right now. Not when he still feels like maybe he just read everything wrong all over again.

“No I - of course I had fun. I guess just maybe next time we shouldn’t go to the movies just - when Deacon might be there. You know?”

“Yeah,” Ted says quietly, flipping back and forth through the cassette tapes. “I guess so.”

“I’m sorry, Ted. Let’s - let’s just go home, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” he mumbles, hunching his shoulders, trying not to let his nerves get the better of him. He’s sure that Bill’s just nervous, too, or that something else is wrong - but he can’t help feeling oddly rejected, suddenly. He curls up in the seat, and picks out a Megadeth cassette, something loud enough it can drown out all his dumb thoughts, and shoves it in.

He knows that when they’re home it’s still too early to go to bed - but he doesn’t know what else to say to Bill. He doesn’t know how to get back whatever slipped away from them after Deacon interrupted them in the theater.

He mumbles a quiet, “Goodnight,” to Bill, as he goes to the bedroom, then changes into his pajamas and climbs into bed. With the covers over his head, he shoves his face into the pillows to block out the light and the sounds of the TV in the other room.

It’s impossible to fall asleep like that, though.

Ted’s just laying there, swallowed by his own frustration, when he remembers something he didn’t even really realize he’d forgotten.

He remembers the first time he and Bill actually almost kissed.

It had been a hot summer day after their junior year of high school, and they’d been trying to have band practice in the Preston home garage. It was so hot, though, Ted remembers, neither of them had even really been able to stay upright.

Ted was laid out on the concrete, trying to let the stone cool him off, and Bill had been slumped against their little stage setup, flushed and sweating as he plucked thoughtfully at his guitar.

“It’s so hot I can’t even think, dude,” Ted had whined, shrugging out of his guitar to turn onto his side and press his cheek against the concrete.

“And I barely even know how people write songs on a day when their brains aren’t melting out of their ears,” Bill replied, taking off his guitar, too.

Giggling a little, Ted had pushed up onto his hands and scooted closer to where Bill sat - keeping enough distance they didn’t end up sharing heat when they were both already so warm. “We’ll figure it out, Bill. I mean - I don’t know, what do people write songs about?”

“A bunch of stuff we’ve never done, Ted,” Bill had mumbled, slumping down even further, his crop top bunching up against the ground. “What good is like, traveling through time when nobody believes us and all it got us was an A on our history report?”

“But without the A, dude, the band wouldn’t even still exist. I’d be in Alaska.” Ted said softly, scooting in a little closer. “And besides - it was an excellent adventure through time. Maybe we can’t like, write songs about it but - maybe it can inspire us other ways, you know?”

“Nobody writes songs about stuff like that, though, Ted. I mean - well, there are some really weird ones, but - most songs are about like - sex, and love, and kissing and stuff, you know? Or parties or - rockstar stuff.”

“Oh,” Ted said, rolling onto his back again and staring up at the ceiling. “I guess you’re right.”

“While the princesses are truly excellent friends, dude, we barely even kissed them. I don’t really think we were doing it right.”

“I mean, maybe not, but how are we s’posed to find anybody to do all that stuff with when we don’t even really know any babes, dude?” Ted asked, finally forcing himself to sit up, just to look at Bill properly.

Bill shrugged, and his face had gone red - even redder, really, in the warm garage. “I mean - I don’t know there’s always - I mean there’s - we could always like - practice or something,” Bill had mumbled, trailing off at the end.

“What do you mean practice?” Ted asked - and that was when, now for the first time he could remember, he had glanced down at Bill’s mouth out of some unknown instinct. He had noticed the nice shape of Bill’s upper lip, and the marks his teeth left on his lower lip, and the way they parted slightly when he opened his mouth again.

Before Bill could answer, though, Missy had called them both inside, getting onto them for sitting out in the hot garage when they could just as easily hang out inside, in the air conditioning, and not risk heatstroke.

They’d never talked about it again. Ted had convinced himself he misunderstood, and there was never a good time to bring it up, anyways.

But now here he is, years later, laying in bed, thinking about it. Bill almost definitely wanted to kiss him back then - so why would he stop now, when they were so close? Did he stop? Is he just embarrassed? Ted’s stomach is tied into nervous knots as he rolls around and gets tangled in his sheets again.

Confused, frustrated, and exhausted - but now most definitely not about to fall asleep, Ted pulls his legs out from the mess of his blankets so that he can get up and stumble towards the kitchen for a glass of water.

At first, he feels like Bill just isn’t saying anything because he’s busy watching the TV, or he’s still upset too - but then he hears the soft snuffling sounds from the couch and looks over to find Bill asleep, leaned back against the cushions. His face is turned to one side, all mashed against one armrest, and it looks like his neck has ended up in a most uncomfortable position.

Ted feels a rush of tenderness wash over him, fond of the way Bill’s curls are all messed up, and his brow has furrowed a little, even with his eyes closed. Even if Bill doesn’t want to kiss him - that’s still his best friend, and Ted loves him, and he doesn’t want Bill’s neck to get all messed up.

He goes over to the couch and leans down, hovering over Bill as he places a hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently.

“Bill, dude - if you stay all night on the couch like that your neck’s going to get a heinous crick in it.”

Bill’s eyes flutter open, and he blinks up at Ted, frowning a little - but then a smile breaks over his face, soft and genuine, and Ted’s heart speeds up enough he can feel it in his chest.

“Ted,” Bill says softly, just as he stretches, and his eyes flutter shut again.

He feels sort of frozen, there leaning over the couch, captivated by the sight of a smiling, sleepy Bill in the flickering light of the television. The tenderness in Bill’s voice, too, has left him all soft and fluttery, wanting to reach out and touch.

Hesitantly, he brushes his fingers up Bill’s arm to rest a hand on his shoulder. “We should get you to bed, dude,” Ted says softly.

Bill stretches a little, and makes a quiet sound as he does. “Yeah, I guess so.” His brow furrows again. “I was having the most excellent dream, though, dude, I-” Bill stops, suddenly, and opens his eyes, and blinks a few times. “Oh. Oh. Right.”

Ted drops his hand and frowns. “What is it, Bill?”

“Nothing, dude,” Bill mumbles, and he stands up, ducking away from Ted’s touch.

“Okay,” Ted says quietly, and he turns back around, suddenly realizing he never actually got his glass of water. “Goodnight, then, Bill.”

“Ted,” Bill says suddenly, and Ted spins back around, a little startled.

“What?"

“I just - would you wanna go for a drive tomorrow? We’ve got the day off, and - I thought maybe we could go up to that overlook. The one by the beach?”

“The one where-” Ted starts, and then flushes, and his mouth snaps shut. Because people basically only go to the overlook to make out. It’s where everyone did it in high school, and probably people still do it now.

Bill starts to say, “We don’t have to, I just-”

But Ted cuts him off, nodding. “Yeah. It’s a good idea, Bill, we should go.”

That makes Bill flush, too, and he seems surprised. “Really? Are you sure?”

Ted nods again. “Yes, I’m sure.”

“Okay,” Bill says, and that soft sleepy smile spreads across his face again. “We can do that tomorrow, then. Maybe - in the afternoon or something.” He walks into the bedroom, then, and sticks his head back out through the doorway. “Are you coming to bed in a minute, dude?”

“Yeah, I’m just gonna get some water.”

Bill nods, and smiles at him again, and then he’s gone.

Maybe it’s silly for Ted to get his hopes back up - but the excitement is back, spreading through his veins, and he wiggles a little as he gets himself a glass of water to take back to the bedroom. He drinks a little bit standing there in the kitchen, then decides he’s tired of being on his own, and heads back into the bedroom.

Bill is settled on his bed now, sitting up against the headboard in his pajamas, and the sight of him already all sleep-rumpled and now in his soft t-shirt and boxers makes Ted want to reach out and touch him again. It’s not quite as bad now that he knows where they’re going tomorrow, and he knows Bill isn’t upset with him or anything - now he can make himself wait. But still, he feels it, the physical kind of itch in his palms where he aches to reach out.

He wants to fall onto Bill’s bed and see if he can get away with it. Instead, he sets the water on the amp between their beds and then crawls into his own, just turning onto his side to look at Bill.

Ted watches as Bill yawns, and rubs his hands over his face.

“I guess we oughta try to get some real sleep if we’re gonna go for that drive tomorrow,” Ted says, smiling a little.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Bill says as he stretches. Then he turns off their lamp, and turns onto his side, facing Ted. “You really wanna go?” Bill asks.

This time, Ted nods as hard as he can, hair flopping into his face as he leans up off the bed. “Yes way, Bill. Most definitely.”

Bill laughs a little, and Ted can hear the sheets on his bed rustle as he rolls over. “Okay. Goodnight then, Ted. See you in the morning.”

“Goodnight, Bill,” Ted says quietly - and with Bill in the other bed, Ted can finally let the quiet sounds of his breathing lull him to sleep.

When he wakes up the next day, the sunlight is streaming in through the windows, and Bill is already up and out of bed. It’s later than Ted would usually wake up, but it’s probably because of all the trouble he had sleeping last night. He gets up and stumbles out of the bedroom, and finds Bill sitting at the table still eating breakfast.

It’s still early enough that Bill doesn’t say much, but he smiles at Ted and shoves a plate towards the empty seat, because apparently he made enough breakfast for both of them.

Ted grins and flops into the open chair, bringing one of his legs up onto the seat. “Thanks, Bill.”

Bill just hums in response, and they both just sit there, eating their breakfast in relative silence. It doesn’t feel like the night before, though, when the silence was so heavy. Now, Bill just looks bleary with sleep, still not fully awake, and Ted feels comfortable enough to nudge his foot against Bill’s leg under the table, and smile whenever Bill looks up at him.

Even though he shakes his head a little, Bill smiles back, and flushes a little as he ducks his head.

They both take showers, and they watch some TV, but as soon as it’s early afternoon, they both start to get restless. Bill keeps picking up his guitar, fiddling with it for just a minute or two, and then putting it back down. Ted checks his watch and fidgets with his bracelets, and kicks his feet against the couch.

Finally, Bill turns to him and says, “Do you wanna just-”

And Ted doesn’t even let him finish before he starts nodding. “Yeah, let’s go.”

Bill grins at him, and helps him off the couch - and then just keeps holding his hand, tugging him towards the door. “Excellent, dude. Let’s go, then.”

Ted squeezes at Bill’s hand, feeling flushed and giddy. This time, it’s basically impossible for him to doubt it. This one really feels like a date - and not just because he’s treating it like one, but because Bill is, too. They’re _holding hands_ \- and all the way into the parking garage, all the way to the van, Bill doesn’t let go until he has to. Even then, he lets Ted’s fingers slip from in between his as slowly as possible, reluctantly, like he doesn’t want to let go.

On the way there, Ted puts on a Jimi Hendrix tape and tries not to blush too hard as he watches Bill drive while Jimi sings, “ _What’s in my heart and why I love you so_.”

When they pull up to the overlook, Ted gets nervous again, worried that things are going to feel strange or awkward, but Bill just turns in his seat, knees pointed towards Ted. 

His face is all flushed as he gestures towards the backseat. “Do you wanna uh - hop in the back so we can… sit together?” Bill asks.

Ted nods, and he turns the music down - because the car’s still on, and now the sounds are soft in the background as they both climb into the back and settle on the seat against the wall together.

Keeping his knees tucked together, Ted turns towards Bill and rests one hand between them on the seat to keep his balance. “So, uh-” Ted says softly, but Bill is already turned to face him, ducked in close, his eyes on Ted’s mouth.

Ted can see it, and this time he can feel it, too. The moment is more charged than ever before, the way they came up here just to be alone, and the way Bill asked him to do all this - Ted’s sure now, and Bill is leaning in close, and he ducks in closer, too as he lets his eyes fall to Bill’s mouth.

He barely gets his chance to stare, though, as Bill brings a hand up, resting right at Ted’s jaw, palm soft against Ted’s skin. “Ted,” he says softly, and he rubs one callused thumb up over Ted’s cheek.

“Yeah, Bill?” Ted asks, whispering just to match Bill’s volume.

“I just-” Bill starts, and their faces are so close now that Ted can nudge his nose against Bill’s, just softly. He closes his eyes, finally, and he can feel Bill’s breath on his lips.

Then, suddenly, there’s a series of loud popping sounds outside the van that make them both jump. Ted’s heart races - but it’s easy enough to hear the kids outside laughing, too, and soon he can put together that the noises were firecrackers, set off to freak out anybody who came up here to make out.

Ted rubs his hands over his face and tries to get his heart to slow down - and he can hear the van door slide open as Bill hops out, running after the kids, who start laughing even harder.

“Not cool!” Bill shouts, and Ted can’t help but laugh a little, giggling to get out some of the jitters. He’s still feeling flushed and overwhelmed from being so close to Bill, again, but then from being scared right after.

Bill hops back in, looking frustrated. His curls are a mess, and he’s a little bit sweaty, now, pink in the face from the heat outside the van.

“You okay, dude?” Ted asks, scooting forward on the seat.

“Yeah,” Bill grumbles, and he sits on the floor in the center of the van. “Those kids aren’t even like - Deacon’s age. They totally ran off, all I did was yell at them. Little dickweeds.” He pauses, and pushes a hand through his hair, then grunts in frustration and slaps his hand against the floor of the van. “I just can’t believe this keeps happening! We keep getting interrupted, and I just - I really wanna kiss you, Ted! And I’ve been trying so hard to make it special, but-”

Ted slides down onto the floor to get closer to Bill, but gets startled by Bill’s words in the process and falls a little hard as he lands, staring wide-eyed at Bill’s face. It’s not like he didn’t now know, like it’s not all he’s been thinking about all week - but hearing out loud is still totally different. “Yeah?” he says softly.

Bill’s mouth snaps shut, and he flushes, ducking his head to pick at the denim of his jeans. “I mean. That was kind of the idea, I thought, of - coming out here and stuff. Did you - I mean, you wanna - you do, too, right? Or did you - did you not want to?”

“No way, dude - I mean. Yes way? I-” Ted shakes his head and scoots forward onto his knees, nudging his knuckles gently against Bill’s skin through the rip at his knee. “I wanna kiss you, too, Bill. I’ve been thinking about it, too, ever since that day we ran home from the Circle K. And - well, really way longer than that, but-”

“Way longer than that?” Bill asks, smiling a little as he lifts his head up, and moves his hand to knock his knuckles gently against Ted’s. His cheeks are all pink, and his smile is soft, and Ted has to scoot even closer, settling onto his own crossed legs so he can press his knees against Bill’s.

“I mean. Since, like, high school, at least,” Ted tells him, ducking his head, nervous from his own admission. “Do you - do you remember that time you mentioned maybe we should - practice? Like kissing?”

“Oh. Yeah,” Bill says, blinking, surprised. “I didn’t - I didn’t even think you knew what I meant, Ted. Plus then I was - most embarrassed, dude, I was too scared to bring it up again.”

“I thought about it but I thought maybe - maybe I was the one that didn’t get it. So I didn’t wanna say it if I got it wrong, you know?” Ted looks at Bill’s mouth again and then shakes it off, looking back up at Bill’s eyes, still all hooded where he’s frowning a little. “But I guess now is better anyways, than doing it for practice. I don’t just wanna practice, dude, I wanna kiss you.”

“I wanna-” Bill says softly. His eyes fall back to Ted’s mouth, and Ted shivers with it. “Ted, I want to, so bad, but if we get interrupted again, dude, I’m gonna lose it. I think we should just - go home. Lock the door and maybe even like take the phone off the hook, just to make sure nothing gets in the way again, and nobody interrupts.”

“Yeah?” Ted asks, a little breathless.

Bill nods, and places a hand heavy on Ted’s knee. “If they do, this time, I’m gonna ignore them,” he murmurs, and he moves to slide his hand up Ted’s thigh, squeezing there gently.

Ted leans in a little further, his own eyes falling to Bill’s mouth, the soft shape of it, the way it’s quirked up as he smirks.

Then Bill squeezes again and pulls back, sliding his hand over Ted’s leg and then hopping out of the van. “Gotta wait til we’re home, dude.”

“Bill!” Ted calls after him, hopping out of the back.

Bill just laughs, and Ted has to lean against the van door for a moment after he closes it, feeling giggly, flushed and overwhelmed, knowing that he and Bill are going home to kiss. He wiggles a little, there outside the van, shaking out his hands, and then goes around to the passenger side to hop in.

“Let’s go home,” Bill says, and Ted nods.

Once the van is parked, they make their way upstairs to the apartment, and Ted keeps close to Bill, one hand grabbing onto the fabric at the back of Bill’s tank, tugging at it a little as they stumble into each other on the stairs and giggle.

They get inside the apartment, and Bill really does go over to their phone and take it off the hook, while Ted locks the door and then leans back against it, just standing there, breathless and blushing, giddy with anticipation.

“C’mere, dude,” Bill says, reaching out.

“Why don’t you come here?” Ted asks, shifting his feet apart so Bill has space to stand between them. He tilts his head back against the door a little, watching Bill as he waits, and he can see the way Bill’s eyes move over him, from his head to his toes.

Finally, Bill comes over and presses close, caging Ted in against the door, pressing his hands against Ted’s waist. “Lean down, then, dude, you’re too tall.”

Ted giggles a little, but he slides down the door, wrapping his arms around Bill’s shoulders and tugging him closer, nudging their foreheads and their noses together as he lets Bill hold some of his weight against the door. “Okay. This good?”

“Yeah. Really good,” Bill mumbles - and then finally, _finally_ , he ducks close and presses his lips against Ted’s.

The kiss is soft at first - Bill’s lips are damp and slightly parted, pressed against his, but Ted just lingers, barely moving, still somehow worried that something is going to get in the way again.

After a moment, Bill pulls back, just a little, exhaling slowly. “Still good, dude?”

“Yeah. You?”

Bill nods. “Yeah. I’m gonna - you wanna like - make out?”

“Yeah,” Ted says, nodding just slightly enough that he won’t knock his forehead against Bills. “Please.”

This time neither of them hesitate, and Bill kisses Ted so hard he knocks his head back against the door a little. Ted gasps out a laugh, pressing it into Bill’s mouth, and tugs Bill even closer, arms tight around his shoulders, loving the way Bill is pressed against him all along his front. He presses his knees against Bill’s legs, holding him close that way, too, and bites at his lip, wanting their open mouths pressed together, wanting to lick inside and taste.

Bill gasps a little, and makes another soft sound, but parts his lips further, pressing his open mouth against Ted’s. For a moment, it’s messy, both of them still overeager, not quite getting the angle right. Bill’s kissing Ted’s bottom lip, and then the corner of his mouth, and Ted’s panting as he licks just under Bill’s mouth.

Then, everything lines up, and Bill sucks on Ted’s lower lip for a moment before pressing his tongue into Ted’s mouth - and Ted whimpers.

It’s perfect. Soft and warm and everything Ted thought it would be while he’s been imagining it. He slides his hands down over Bill’s back, clutching at his shoulder blades and feeling flushed and overwhelmed in all the best ways.

Each time their lips part for a moment, with a soft, wet sound, one of them just leans back in, desperate to keep their mouths pressed together, still not done making up for lost time.

They keep kissing until Ted’s lips start to feel tender. It’s making him feel sensitive all over, so aware of Bill’s hands on his waist and his hip, the way his fingers clutch and press - the way Bill’s calluses feel when one hand slides up under Ted’s shirt.

Ted shivers, and his cock twitches - and he realizes he’s almost totally hard in his jeans.

“Bill, dude, I’m-” Ted gasps out, turning his head just enough to get the words out. Bill just keeps kissing him, though, pressing closer and pressing his damp, open mouth to Ted’s cheek, and his jaw, and his neck.

Instead of finishing his sentence, Ted pushes his hips forward, mostly on instinct, and presses his cock against Bill’s stomach through their clothes, shuddering as he does.

Bill’s hand spasms against Ted’s hip, and he stops for a moment, breathing heavy against Ted’s jaw. “Whoa,” He says quietly.

“Yeah,” Ted says, a little embarrassed.

“No, Ted, it’s-” Bill stops, and presses Ted back against the door again - and now Ted can feel Bill against his thigh, the hard shape of him still tucked in the denim. “It’s okay. Me, too.”

Ted grabs harder at Bill’s shirt, fingers slipping against the fabric as he presses his thighs together, against Bill’s leg, and twitches forward again. “Should we - I mean do you wanna stop? Or something?”

Bill shakes his head, pressing his face against Ted’s neck. “No. Do you?”

Shaking his head back, he pushes one hand into Bill’s curls. “No way. Just-” He tugs a little at Bill’s hair. “I just wanna keep kissing you, dude.”

Lifting his head again, Bill kisses Ted’s jaw, and his chin, and his cheek, and then mutters, “Me, too,” against Ted’s lips as he kisses him again.

With Bill’s tongue pressing against his again, Ted’s hips twitch forward, and the friction of the denim against the warmth of Bill’s stomach feels so good he can’t stop himself from thrusting forward again, on purpose. He knows maybe he should pull back, at least suggest they move somewhere else, but he pulls back from the kiss and looks down, and he can see where Bill’s shirt has ridden up, and the shape of his cock in his jeans is pressed to Bill’s bare stomach. Ted can see the lines of his muscles, and his hips, and he pushes forward again, moaning softly.

Bill’s hand presses at the back of his neck, and he tugs Ted into another kiss, biting at his lip, and pressing his whole body forward so he actually presses his stomach against Ted’s cock, giving him something to grind against. Ted whines into his mouth, and Bill moves his other hand down to Ted’s ass, sliding it into his back pocket and squeezing gently, clearly urging Ted forward.

Now, with Bill’s encouragement, Ted presses his hips up, grinding in shivery little thrusts to match the way his and Bill’s lips are moving together, matching the pace of Bill’s tongue in his mouth.

Suddenly, he’s close, closer than he thought he was, and he pulls back, maybe to say so or suggest they move, or to try and undo his pants, or something - but all he manages to do is moan, loudly, as he thrusts one last time against Bill’s stomach and comes in his jeans.

As his orgasm rushes through him, and fades, Ted immediately flushes with embarrassment instead. He presses his face against Bill’s neck, trying to hide there. “Sorry,” he mumbles, clutching at the fabric of Bill’s shirt.

“For what?” Bill pants out, petting a hand up over Ted’s neck. “Ted, that was so hot, I-” Bill shudders, and Ted can feel him again, when he readjusts their legs and presses his cock against Ted’s thigh. “Dude, can I see?”

“See?” Ted asks. “Like-”

But Bill lets go of Ted, just for a moment, and sinks to his knees wrapping his hands around Ted’s hips. “Can I? Please?”

Ted shivers, and nods, leaning heavily back against the door, happy to give Bill whatever he wants. “Sure, Bill.”

He reaches down, and his hands bump into Bill’s as they both struggle to get his pants unbuttoned and unzipped. Ted goes to hook his fingers under the waistband of his briefs, though, and Bill places a hand over his to stop him.

“No, wait,” Bill tells him. “Let me.”

Ted’s hands fall back to his sides, and then he presses them back against the door. Bill shoves his jeans down off of his hips, and then sits back and just looks for a moment, staring at Ted’s cock softening in his underwear, at the undeniable wet spot on the front.

It would be embarrassing - at least it could be if Bill wasn’t staring, so obviously turned on. His eyes are hooded, his mouth hanging open as he licks his lips and rubs his thumbs along the lines of Ted’s hips, over his underwear.

“I’m gonna-” Bill says, and then he finally pushes his fingers under the waistband and tugs Ted’s underwear down, too. 

Ted shivers as the open air hits his cock, especially where it’s still all covered with his own cum. He watches Bill’s face for a moment, but then he has to look up towards the ceiling, too flushed and embarrassed and overwhelmed when he literally just got off.

“Can I touch, dude? If I’m gentle?”

That makes Ted shudder again, and he has to look down, to see where Bill’s still kneeling in front of him, looking up at Ted through his eyelashes, his face so close to Ted’s cock. “Yeah, okay,” Ted tells him.

But Bill doesn’t use his hands - instead he leans in and licks over Ted’s skin, cleaning up the cum at the crease of his groin, and around the base of his cock.

Ted’s mouth falls open, and he watches it happen, unable to tear his eyes away from the sight of Bill’s tongue on his skin. Some of Ted’s cum gets on his mouth, too, and Bill pulls back enough to lick his lips, staring up at Ted as he does.

“Bill,” Ted says softly, and he watches as Bill’s eyes flutter shut as he says it.

He realizes, then, that while Bill was cleaning him off, he unzipped his jeans and started touching himself. Ted can see, now, the way Bill’s arm is moving, and the way just the head of his cock peeks out from his fist.

“Dude, come here,” Ted says, and he tugs Bill up again, hands under his arms, pressed against his ribcage.

Bill stumbles into him a little, hand still wrapped around his cock, and Ted pulls him in with a hand on the back of his neck, kissing him so hard he can feel Bill’s teeth press into his lip - but it feels good, the pressure where his lips are still tender, the warmth.

He reaches out, and brushes his hand over Bill’s stomach - and he can feel it tense up as Bill comes. Some of it hits the back of Ted’s hand, and he shivers to feel it, strangely fascinated with having Bill’s cum on his skin, now that Bill’s had some of his in his mouth.

Ted pulls back, and looks down at his hand, and then licks it clean, mostly out of curiosity. The taste isn’t totally different from his own, sharp and salty, but the knowledge that it’s Bill’s makes him gather it all in his mouth, flushing as he does it.

“Ted,” Bill says - and when Ted looks up, Bill is watching him, his eyes locked on Ted’s mouth again.

“Sorry, was that-” Ted starts, but Bill just leans up and kisses him, pressing his tongue into Ted’s mouth. Both of them still taste like cum - but the way it all mingles in their mouths makes Ted moan and lean down to press closer, tangling his fingers in Bill’s hair to keep him close.

Their lips part with a wet sound, and when Ted glances down, Bill’s mouth is so damp and messy and red that Ted has to lean in and kiss him again, unable to resist.

“Dude, we shoulda just done this here the whole time,” Ted says quietly.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Bill pants out, kissing Ted again, then kissing the corner of his mouth, and his cheek. “Maybe we should have just done this as soon as we got our own place, dude.”

Ted laughs, and wraps his arms tight around Bill’s shoulders, pulling him into a hug. “Maybe so, dude. But at least now we can do it like - whenever we want.”

“That’s true,” Bill mutters, nosing up under Ted’s ear and then kissing at the corner of his jaw. “Except we’ll have to like, stop for work and stuff.”

“Mm, but today we’ve got the whole rest of the day off, dude.”

“We do,” Bill agrees, grinning a little as he pulls back. “You wanna go get cleaned up and then make the most of it?”

Ted nods, smiling back, and tangles his fingers with Bill’s. “Most definitely.” So he helps Bill shove his jeans the rest of the way off, and Bill helps him out of his, and they stumble to the bathroom, giggling, unable to keep their hands off each other.

Somewhere behind them, Ted can hear the phone still beeping where they left it off the hook - but maybe they can just leave it there, at least for the rest of the day.

**Author's Note:**

> welcome to 2020 where i've just unironically written a "five times bill and ted almost kissed and one time they finally did" fic and MAYBE YOU DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE. HAHA!
> 
> anyways whether you did or didn't i hope you enjoyed it! if you did you can also find me on twitter @eddykaspbraks.
> 
> special thanks to all my beloved discord pals without whom this fic and now aklsmdf multiple others probably wouldn't exist!!! thanks everyone <3


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